Book Review - Finding My Vocation

The following review was written by Mike Velthouse on the book Finding My Vocation by William Boekestein (Jenison, MI: Reformed Free Publishing, 2024). 

What do you want to be when you grow up?

No doubt you've been asked that question since you were a small child. It's likely the same question your parents and grandparents were asked when they were kids. Now that you are a teenager or even a college student, this is a question you're asking yourself, too. What do I want to have as my career? Sometimes, the answer to that question can be so elusive. Whether you are struggling with that decision or have known precisely what you want to be since you were five years old (nurses and teachers seem to know early in life), here is a great new resource to help you find your way into this aspect of adulthood.

Rev. William Boekestein has written an absolute gem of a book to help teenagers and young people who are making their way toward finding a career. Finding My Vocation: A Guide for Young People Seeking a Calling is a spiritually rich, biblically sound book written with the heart of a pastor.

Maybe the question you have in your mind right now is this: What is a vocation? Is it different from a job or work? Rev. Boekestein has a great answer for you: Your vocation is the unique way in which God has chosen you to fit in his great plan.

That sounds important. That sounds like a higher calling than just finding work to pay the bills or having a good enough job to be able to purchase a nice car.

Well, it is! 

Maybe your next question is, how do I find this unique way that God has chosen for me?

In the first section of this book, Rev. Boekestein provides many valuable aspects of the idea of vocation, such as reasons why we work; having the right perspective on work; and even what the fruits of our work should be, like faithfulness, honor, gratitude, and evangelism.

Section Two gives insightful instructions on how to prepare for your vocation. This whole section is really based on the first question and answer of the Westminster Shorter Catechism. What is the chief end of man? Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. Have you ever thought of that as the ultimate reason to pursue any vocation?

The final section provides common sense, biblical disciplines for finding a vocation with which you can give glory to God and show love to your neighbor. Some of these disciplines include being productive, responsible, focused, and loving. You will be blessed with biblical, practical advice on how to use the money you make from your vocation in a way pleasing to God. And, as much as you will read in this book about how to work, there is also a great chapter in this third section on how to rest from work according to God's word. 

After each chapter, there is a personal testimony from someone Rev. Boekestein interviewed, each of which gives a personal story about working for God's glory. I found these interesting and additions of great value to an already highly beneficial book.

Another thing that stood out for me was the obviously extensive research that Rev. Boekestein did in putting this book together. It's absolutely jam-packed with rich quotes from Christians throughout church history. It really brought to light how much there is in church fathers' writings regarding work and vocation. You will read quotes from Reformation pastors (like Calvin and Luther), Puritan preachers (such as Perkins and Flavel), and church leaders from the past two hundred years (including Bavinck, Hoeksema, and Spurgeon). There’s no shortage of references to Reformed creeds either (Heidelberg Catechism, Westminster Catechism, etc.).

There are so many golden nuggets of sound doctrine on every page that I could have quoted something from every paragraph for this review. Here's one of my favorites from William Perkins: "The person must first please God before the work of the person pleases Him."

I highly recommend this book, not only to teens and young people, but to Christians of all ages. Even parents and grandparents can read this and be reminded of how we must carry out our vocation for God's honor and for the love of our neighbor. It reminds adults that it's not about the salary, the 401K, the six weeks of vacation, or the company car. Vocation means obedience and thankfulness to our great God, who has given us our own unique way to fit in His plan.

Ecclesiastes 2 tells us of two different views of vocation. Verse 11 paints a picture of meaninglessness, vanity, vexation of spirit, and zero profit. Verse 24 gives us a totally different view. "There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God."

Which will you choose?

I thank Rev. Boekestein for writing such a valuable book to help teens and young people have the correct and God-glorifying view of vocation.

Click the image or this link to order the book reviewed in this post!